Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Saiyuki characters. They honorably belong to Minekura Sensei. Please don't sue me.
***************************
Ayie: Well…. Thanks for those who liked my fics, make it be 'Surviving Life' or 'Mother's Day Special'. Thanks a lot more for those who reviewed the fics…. Arigatou minna-san. I tried to include all genres in my fic…angst, humour, tragedy, action, adventure..etc, but in this fic I'm trying humour…^ v ^.
Sanzo: I get it…you are not going to rest until you can make fun of me…vein popped out on forehead
Ayie: That's right…ducked Sanzo's whack of life
***************************
Chicken Pox Blues
The bar's ceiling rumbled for the tenth times tonight and once again the customers and the bartenders scampered to find shelters. It almost felt like the ceiling is going to crash on top of their heads.
"What's going on?" a young customer asked the bartender who shared the same shelter with him, under the table. He covered his head with his arms as the ceiling rumbled again, fearing that the ceiling would fell down and knocked him dead.
"It's the Sanzo ikkou" the bartender answered with a trembling voice as he ducked his head into his knees, securing it for the worst possibilities if the ceiling might in case crashed. "They have being running around upstairs for several hours now" he continued. His body shivered with fear.
"Why don't anybody stop them?" another man who found his shelter under the reception counter asked the innkeeper.
"You go ahead if you want to die" the innkeeper replied. He would not try stopping the ikkou for the second time since he almost got a bullet shot right through his head the first time he tried.
The rumble stopped soon after that and the people in hidings got out of their shelters and gazed upon the ceiling. They went back to their tables. As soon as they reached their tables, the rumble occurred again, sending them scampered for shelter, again!
*************************
"Yare…yare…desune" Hakkai scratched his head as he stood scanning the aisle. No sign of the hunted one anywhere. Suddenly his truly sensitive ears caught the sound of running gaits from behind him. Hakkai turned around and narrowed his sight to the direction of the sound. He saw a dark figure running in the dark and he knew the figure too well to suspect that it's a youkai.
"There he is!" Hakkai rushed toward the figure with full speed. If he failed to catch the figure, then it would take several hours more for another chance of catching him. Hakkai chased the figure but it turned out to be a wild goose chase as the figure already disappeared. Hakkai sighed and halted. No way he could chase him. He was just too quick!
"Goookuuu…" Hakkai called out softly. He looked around. "If you come out right now, I'll give you these dumplings" he held out two dumplings and swayed it around in his hands. Hakkai tried to bait the fish. He knew the mentioned boy would surely fell over food, especially if it's fresh baked. Hakkai waited for the respond.
"Sugee!!!" Goku appeared from on top of Hakkai's head with full speed and snatched the dumplings from Hakkai's hands. Hakkai stood dumbfounded as the dumplings were snatched away from his hands. Goku was too fast that he couldn't trace the boy's movements. Hakkai turned around. Goku stuffed the dumplings inside his mouth happily as he darted toward the staircase. Hakkai slapped his head in disbelief. "Sankyu na Hakkai!!" Goku wished as he kept on running.
"Gojyo! He's heading towards you" Hakkai shouted to the staircase's direction. Out of the blue, Gojyo appeared from the staircase and blocked the way with his shaku jou.
"Kono baka saru! You're not going to escape anymore!!" Gojyo exclaimed as he stood waiting for Goku. Goku showed no sign of stopping his gait. He kept on running and when he reached few steps from Gojyo, he leaped up and landed on Gojyo's head. The latter sled down the steps as the young heretic yelled in joy from on top of his head. Gojyo screamed in fear as he could feel his feet sliding down the stairs with maximum speed.
"Ayo…Silver!!!" Goku shouted as he flailed his arms frantically on top of his head. His feet clung to Gojyo's neck, chocking the man to death. Goku laughed like crazy as they reached the end of the staircase. Gojyo stumbled to the floor and landed on his face as Goku leaped away from the kappa's head and ran away toward the bar.
"Ittai…." Gojyo turned his body upright and moaned. His face swelled and his nose bled. His eyes swirled around and he could saw tiny winy little yellow birds flying around his spinning head. Or is it blue? "Goookuuu…" he whined.
"Gojyo! Daijoubu desu ka?" Hakkai reached the staircase and almost tripped over Gojyo, who lied at the end of the staircase. Gojyo looked like that the he's having the worst hangover ever. "Where's Goku?" he asked the red haired.
"Go…ku..? Who is he?" Gojyo asked unconsciously as he was seeing things. "And who are you? Eh! Who am I?" Gojyo was indeed drunk, not because of too much beer or sake but because of his madly spun head.
Hakkai slapped his forehead. 'There he goes again! Now we can only rely on Sanzo to catch Goku'. They had being chasing Goku for the whole noon now and neither the three of them had had the slightest luck to catch Goku. And now, it's already dusk and the chasing task is getting rather difficult since Goku had a bigger chance of hiding himself away.
***************************
Goku looked down to the ground as he saw Hakkai's stepping out of the inn and scanning the area. It was obvious that Hakkai was searching for him. Goku sat silently like a statue on the tree branch. If he made the slightest move, Hakkai would surely found his hiding place, on top of the tree near the inn entrance. Goku held his breath. He was surely glad Hakkai was having a stuffy nose that day or he's in trouble. Hakkai was so sensitive when it came to yuki smell.
Goku sighed with relief as he watched Hakkai went back into the inn. He leaned against the tree trunk. "How come they want me to eat that forever-disgusting medicine" Goku pouted. "Even the smell was terrible!!!" Goku thought as he stuck out his tongue in disgust.
"They are not going to get me to do it!! Never!!!" Goku held his hands in fists.
********************
Flashback
"Achoo!" Goku sneezed for the hundred times on that bright sunny day. He rubbed his flaming eyes and once again sneezed. His throat burned and his head felt rather heavy, as if there's a stone on top of it.
"You're sick saru!" Gojyo looked down to Goku's face. He could clearly saw that the young heretic face was flushed red. He was burning up and Gojyo saw the heat that burned the boy from inside through the golden eyes of his. The half-breed put a palm on Goku's heat, feeling the heat on his body. Gojyo yanked his hand when he felt the heat on Goku's body is burning his palm.
"I'm not sick!!" Goku denied as he smacked Gojyo's hand aside. "And don't call me saru kono ero kappa!!!!" Goku shouted at the red haired face. He looked at Sanzo, who was reading his newspaper. Lucky for him Sanzo didn't react to Gojyo's word.
"Hakkai! Goku's having a high fever" Gojyo exclaimed as he looked at Hakkai, who was preparing lunch. Hakkai turned his head to Gojyo and Goku. He glanced at Goku. Goku was sneezing and coughing out loud as he sat cross-legged on his bed. He looked weary and haggard. 'Yupe! The boy's definitely having a fever'. He walked toward Gojyo and Goku.
Hakkai bent down and stared at Goku's face. He put a palm on Goku's face. The kid was burning. "Are you having a sore throat, pain in the chest, aching joins, burning eyes, and do you feel a little light-headed?" Hakkai asked for confirmation. Goku nodded. Hakkai checked the boy's face and found several tiny red spots on it. "Goku, you're having a chicken pox" he claimed.
"Ch!" Sanzo looked at the trio from the corner of his eyes. He looked at Goku. 'The saru did looked a little weary today'
Gojyo frowned. "It's contagious" he said with horror.
Hakkai smiled. "Hai! But the possibility of having a chicken pox is very small if you had had it before" he explained. Gojyo nodded as he sighed with relief. He remembered that he once had had chicken pox when he was eight. "Now Goku, you stay here quietly as I want to get the remedy for your fever" Hakkai said as he went to get his backpack.
Hakkai reached into his backpack and took out a bottle of brown substance. He returned to Goku with the bottle in one hand and a spoon on the other. He stood in front of Goku and poured a little amount of the brown substance into the spoon. He held it out to Goku's mouth. "Now open wide…aaa…" Hakkai coaxed the boy with soothing tone.
Goku's nose stretched at the smell of the brown substance. He looked at the brown substance with eyes as round as ping-pong balls. The smell was horrible and the taste would surely turned out to be the same. Goku clamped his mouth with his hands and shook his head furiously.
"Ma…ma…Goku, don't be afraid" Hakkai tried to calm Goku down. He wouldn't say it out loud but that remedy for chicken pox disease was indeed tasted horrible. He smiled at Gojyo, signaling the red haired to lend him a helping hand. Gojyo quickly understood as he held Goku's hand away from his mouth. Hakkai happily tried to shove the remedy into Goku's tightly shut mouth.
"IYA!!!" Goku shouted out and leaped away from the bed. He ran to the door and darted outside.
"Yare..yare…" Hakkai shook his head. "Looks like he knew this remedy tasted terrible" he sighed.
"What are you going to do now Hakkai?" Gojyo asked as he darted toward the door, looking around for the saru. The saru was nowhere around.
"We have to get him to take the remedy or the fever would get worst and ended with all the kids in the town having chicken pox" Hakkai answered. Now they had to save the day by getting Goku to take the brown substance and settled on bed instead of wandering aimlessly around the town.
With the answer, Gojyo went out of the room and went after the saru. He needed to get Goku fast! Hakkai chuckled edgily. He glanced at Sanzo. "You're not coming Sanzo?" he asked as the monk still sat reading the newspaper.
"Ch! I don't care about any sick saru" Sanzo answered coldly.
"I know…I know…but then, the townsfolk will blame you if their kids get chicken pox from Goku" Hakkai stated as he smiled widely.
"Ch!" Sanzo put down his newspaper and stood up on his feet. He walked passed Hakkai and headed toward the door. Hakkai smiled.
*************************
Suddenly, Goku smelt a very delicious smell. Food! He leapt happily and jumped down to the ground. He landed on his feet and immediately rushed toward the direction from where the smell came from. He sneaked into the inn and peeked from behind the slightly ajar door. No sign of Hakkai, Gojyo and Sanzo around the area. It's safe.
Goku quickly ran up the stairs as the smell came from upstairs. He was totally dozed off from the delicious smell and headed directly to its source. It came from their room! Goku halted. This is not good.The older bishounens were trying to trap him. But the smell…. So good!!! Goku seemed to float and let himself to fly freely to the direction of the delicious smell. Actually he was not flying…he just thought he was as his mind was not anywhere in his body.
Goku opened the door slightly and peeped into the room. No one was inside the room. No Hakkai. No Gojyo and most importantly, no Sanzo. Goku chirped merrily as he darted toward the table. On the table were the tastiest looking dishes he ever saw. 'Hakkai must had prepared this for dinner but they didn't ate it as they were busy looking for me'.
Goku started to gobble the food on the table. "Sugoi!!!" Running for the whole day really made him starved. He took his time to finish all the food. 'His companions can think of another things to eat'
"GOT YA!!!" Goku stammered to see the closet in the corner of the room jerked opened at sudden and Sanzo popped out from it. Sanzo darted toward Goku and slammed himself onto the boy. Sanzo brought Goku down to the floor together with him. Out of nowhere, Hakkai and Gojyo entered the room and ran toward Sanzo and Goku. Sanzo and Gojyo grabbed Goku by his arms and made him sat upright. Hakkai on the other hand went to get the bottle of the brown substance. Goku struggled fiercely to free himself but the elder bishounens were too strong.
"Sanzo….Onegai!! Don't let me eat that horrible thing" Goku pled for Sanzo's sympathy. Sanzo pretended that he wasn't listening. He enveloped Goku around the waist with his legs and held the boy's arms firmly in his hands. Sanzo twisted Goku's arm to the boy's back and held it tight. Goku was locked in his hold. No way he could escape anymore. Goku looked at Sanzo with his puppy look but Sanzo ignored that look and kept his hold firmer.
"You made us ran around all day looking for you and you want us to let you go?" Gojyo looked down to Goku with a devilish grin. "No way saru! You made us suffered so much and now it's our time to return the favor" Gojyo smiled. If Goku looked hard enough, he could see Gojyo had grown a pair of horns on his head.
"Luckily Sanzo get this great idea to bait you into our trap" Hakkai chirped merrily as he walked toward his companions. Goku is still struggling fiercely in Sanzo's hold.
Sanzo felt his hands itched. He badly needed to whack someone's head as Goku's struggle is killing him and making him exhausted. But he was in no condition of reaching for his harisen as both of his hands were holding Goku. "Hayaku Hakkai!!" he yelled out loud as numerous veins popped out on his forehead.
"Hai! Hai!" Hakkai quickly pulled the cork and poured the brown substance into a spoon. "Open wide….aaaa…." He held the spoon to Goku's mouth but Goku insisted on keeping his mouth shut. Hakkai glanced at Gojyo and Gojyo quickly understood.
"Open wide saru!!! Think like you're eating the biggest meat bun in the world" Gojyo jested the mentioned boy as he opened Goku's mouth by force. He used a huge effort in his attempt to open Goku's mouth as the latter clamped his mouth shut tightly. Gojyo almost wanted to use his shaku jou and stuck it in the middle of the saru's jaw to keep it opened. But he shook his head and shoved the thought away as it was too brutal for a kid like that saru.
Goku finally surrendered. No way he could win the battle for his life with the three bishounens joined together to bring him down. He just let Hakkai shoved the brown substance inside his mouth as Gojyo clamped his mouth shut and made him swallowed the substance by force. Goku felt a nausea coming up and he struggled fiercely to let himself free. Sanzo released him as he had already swallowed the remedy. Goku thought he's going to vomit when he felt the nausea eased down and was turned into a relief. 'Eh! This substance tasted good!'
"SUGOI!!! I want more!" his sudden utterance made the elders of the ikkou startled. How come he wanted more of the substance when the remedy tasted terrible? They stared at Goku bewilderedly as the latter tried to snatch the bottle of the brown substance from Hakkai's hand. Hakkai, who was in astounded mode just let the boy snatched the bottle away from him.
"Hakkai, what happened?" Gojyo asked in astonishment. Sanzo rose up and glanced at Goku. 'The saru's appetite was weird'
Hakkai raised his shoulder slightly. He glanced to the table and found another bottle of brown substance on it. Hakkai stammered. He had takes the wrong remedy. "Goku…don't!!" he shouted out to Goku, but he was indeed too late as Goku had already swallowed the substance down to the last drop. As soon as he finished the substance, Goku sunk to his knees and lied motionlessly on the floor.
Hakkai sweat dropped. "It's a cough syrup…" Hakkai sighed. He looked at Goku who was now snoring out loud to the ceiling. Goku had fallen asleep, courtesy of Hakkai's cough syrup. Hakkai turned around and found Gojyo and Sanzo were looking at him with their jaw dropped. "Well….at least we don't have to chase him all night to make him take the remedy" Hakkai chuckled edgily.
"We could feed him the remedy while he's asleep" said Hakkai, laughing slightly.
Gojyo and Sanzo sweat dropped at that thought. Feeding Goku while he's sleeping was even harder than feeding him when he's awake. Goku was no different even if he's sleeping or not sleeping.
**************************
Sanzo and Gojyo glanced at the sleeping Goku. They had finally succeeded in making him swallowed the real remedy for his chicken pox. Well, it took them several more hours to accomplish that since Goku acted fiercely in his sleep every time they wanted to shove the substance into his mouth. He kept kicking and punching them, sending them to fell tremendously on the floor and to jerk backward and bumped to the wall.
Hakkai looked at Sanzo and Gojyo and smiled. Sanzo and Gojyo's faces were covered with bumps, bruises and plasters. Even his face didn't look any better than the duo's. "Yare…yare…" Hakkai chuckled edgily as the latter two sunk onto the floor and fell asleep at instance. They are sitting cross-legged and leaning against each other's backs with Sanzo in his handsome position, arms folded and head bowed slightly, and Gojyo in his usual noisy slumber, snoring aloud to the sky. 'They must be really tired'.
Hakkai went to the beds and gathered all the blankets he could get and tucked his two companions with the blankets. He pulled a chair and sat down by Goku's bedside. He tucked the boy to sleep and caressed his young companion's hair. Then, he closed his eyes and fell asleep, in the exact sitting position.
***************************
"Achoo!!!" Gojyo sneezed out loud and it was followed by Sanzo soon after. They stared at each other's faces and grunted. Now they were sitting cross-legged on their beds. Their throats sore, their eyes burned, their head spun and their joins ached. Red spots were everywhere on their faces and bodies.
"Ch!!" Sanzo grunted. Both of him and Gojyo woke up in the morning with the feeling of dizziness and red spots all over their bodies. Now, they were the one having the chicken pox.
"Oi Hakkai! You said that you wouldn't get chicken pox again if you had had one before" complaint Gojyo as he tried hard not to scratch his itching face, fearing that he would pricked the red spots and made the matter worse.
Hakkai chuckled edgily. "Yare…yare…Gomen minna-san" he apologized. "My mistake" he continued as he pulled out the cork of the brown substance's bottle. Gojyo snorted.
"And why you didn't get infected?" Sanzo asked coldly. He glanced at Goku. The boy was enjoying his breakfast happily as if nothing had happened last night. Now, the disease had infected all of them, except for Hakkai.
Hakkai laughed slightly. "I guess I had a strong immune to chicken pox" he said calmly. He walked toward Sanzo and Gojyo with the bottle of the brown substance in his hand. "Now, who's the first?" Hakkai asked as he held out a spoon filled with that brown substance.
"Keep that away from me!!!" Gojyo resisted as he clamped his mouth with his hands. Sanzo protested by turning his head away. He was about to sneak away when Hakkai called out for Goku. Goku looked at Hakkai at instant.
"K'so!" Sanzo muttered beneath his breath as Goku smiled devilishly at him. Hakkai went to the door and locked it. He kept the key inside his pocket and advanced toward Gojyo and Sanzo with Goku's tailing behind him.
Sanzo and Gojyo backed away a few steps and tripped over the chair. They fell enormously on the floor. They gaped at the sight of Hakkai and Gojyo darting toward them furiously. Goku bumped on them and pinned them to the floor as Hakkai shoved the green substance inside their mouth.
Sanzo and Gojyo cried out loud as they were force to swallow the remedy. It tasted really bad, make it horrible, terrible, awful and whatever words that meant the same with it. They felt a sudden nausea in their stomach and groaned. Both of them darted to the bathroom at instant as they felt like vomiting.
"Yare…yare…." Hakkai chuckled.
"Hakkai!" Goku tugged at Hakkai's sleve. Hakkai looked down to Goku and smiled.
"Nanda?" asked Hakkai.
"Can I have more of the remedy that you'd give me last night?" Goku asked with a puppy look on his face.
Hakkai slapped his forehead in disbelief. "Ma…ma…what a peaceful day" he giggled happily.
~OWARI~
*********************
Ayie: Finished already… what a relief..! How do you think about this story Sanzo?
Sanzo: Ch! You're mean!
Ayie: Hai! Hai! You don't have to tell me that, I know….suddenly ayie looked like a vixen